Smith resigns as Russellville head baseball coach after four seasons

After four seasons in charge, Jess Smith has resigned his position as head coach of the Russellville High School varsity baseball program.

“I’m extremely thankful for my time and the opportunity to have served as the head baseball coach at Russellville High School,” Smith told the Franklin Free Press. “The relationships with fellow coaches and the players throughout the years, whether it’s been as an assistant or as the head coach, have meant the world to me. My dream was always to serve in this role and ‘thank you’ will never be enough.

“I’m looking forward to our next chapter of life,” he added.

Smith is still employed as a teacher at RHS. He and his wife are expecting their first child.

“We wish Coach Smith the very best in his future coaching career and completely support his decision to take a step back to focus on his family in this important season of life,” Russellville City Schools Superintendent Tim Guinn said. “The upcoming birth of his first child is a blessing and we wish him and his wife and their growing family nothing but the best moving forward.”

Smith won 95 games with the Golden Tigers, including 13 playoff games. He led the program to three area championships and to playoff quarterfinal appearances in his first two seasons. A former assistant under Chris Heaps, who won five state championships at RHS, Smith spent three seasons as the head coach at Scottsboro before coming back to Russellville as head coach ahead of the 2023 campaign.

This past season, the Golden Tigers bounced back from a tough start to win the area championship and finished ranked No. 10 in Class 5A. RHS was ultimately knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by No. 3 American Christian Academy.

Guinn said Russellville is “committed to conducting a thorough and professional search” for the next Golden Tiger baseball coach.

“We’re looking for a leader who will build strong relationships with our student athletes, work collaboratively with fellow coaches and staff, represent our schools and community with integrity, and continue developing a competitive first class program,” he said. “We appreciate the interest in this position and are excited about the future of our baseball program.”